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How Do You Do Denim? Four of Our Friends Tell Us

With the variety of fits and rises available, choosing a pair of jeans—and deciding how to wear it—is truly unique to each person. So we asked our denim-loving friends (and Madewell models) about the denim style rules they follow in their “off-duty” wardrobes. Here, Imaan, Michele, Mijo and Jihye share a few jeans memories, their denim icons and the style tricks and tweaks they live by.

Imaan

My love for denim began when…I found a pair of boyfriend jeans at my favorite vintage store in Amsterdam. They have become a permanent wardrobe staple and most perfectly define my style.

My style icon is…My mom. We share the same passion for denim.

My favorite way to wear jeans is…Loose, long and uncuffed. They look sexy when you’re wearing heels or casual with sneakers.

But my favorite thing to pair with denim is…Bare feet…and a great playlist.

My approach to wearing denim is…To really live in your jeans. I’m hard on mine. Some great ones can last forever and get better with age, but when they’re a little worse for the wear, I like to recycle them at Madewell. [Editor’s note: A completely unprompted endorsement of our denim recycling program.*]

When I can’t figure out what to wear, I…End up in high-waisted jeans, a half-tucked T-shirt, a leather jacket and at least one shiny fun extra.

My friends would describe my style as…Subtle and chic, with a little razzle-dazzle.

But I’d describe my style as…Casual, a little silly and inspired by teenagers from the ’70s.

I’d trade closets with…Robert Plant. His whole look with the tight jeans and short-sleeve shrunken shirts—yes! He could even rock a pair of flares. I’m obsessed with the rock ’n’ roll attitude.

My style rule is…Keep the shoes comfortable and the handbags tiny, and be ready to dance the night away.

My first pair of jeans was…Slightly high waisted and flared. I wore them every single day when I was 11 and 12 years old because they made my legs look so long.

My style is…Changing every day, sometimes more than once a day. I’m a Gemini, so I’m pre-dispositioned to love change, especially when it comes to style. I dress according to who I’m with and where I’m going.

*Did you know you can recycle your old jeans in our stores? You’ll get $20 off a new pair as our way of saying thanks.

*Terms and conditions: Offer valid on purchases made in Madewell stores from August 12, 2014, through December 31, 2015, when you contribute one pair of jeans to the Blue Jeans Go Green™ denim recycling program and purchase at least one new pair of full-price jeans. Limit one discount per customer per day. Offer not valid at madewell.com or on phone orders. Offer cannot be applied to previous purchases or the purchase of gift cards and cannot be redeemed for cash or used in combination with any other offer. Offer not valid on third-party branded items. Terms of offer are subject to change. Blue Jeans Go Green™ is a trademark of Cotton Incorporated.